6 258.]

15 weeded twice a year, and when two years old, a layer of turf 15 placed on the margin immediately below the thorns, [5 that any part of the roots that may have been expoſed by the occaſional falling away of the earth, may be fully co- vered up. The hedges are all in ſingle rows, having the plants at the'dilance of four inches from each other, and at every three yards diſtance, a plant of oak, elm, beech, or other wood, 15 planted alvng with the thorns for a hedge- row. The thorns are purchaſed when ſeedlings, and are trained up for two or three years in a nurſery on the eſtate before they are tranſplanted into the fences. By. this means they are in a great meaſure naturalized to the ſoil and ch- mate. A number of thorn plants, not leſs than 6,000,000, have been planted in making theſe fences, the lines of which meaſure 409 miles in length. The hedges are thri- ving extremely well, They are not defended by dead fences,(palings,&c.) the ereCtion of which ſeems to be confined to. plantations only. The oak, elm,&c. plants in the hedge-rows amount to about 230,0009, which, were one fourth only to grow to the ſize of trees, will not only ſhelter* but beautify the country. The cattle are carefully herded, which affords conſiderable prote&ion to the young quicks. The cloſes or fields run from three to eight acres each. The greateſt number, however, contains fix acres; but the park adjoining to the manſion(Callander-houſe) contains 6920.

Hedges,„where attention has been paid them, riſe ex- tremely well in moſt parts of the country, but no where better than in the Carſe, where ſome admirable ſpecimens

of hedge-fences may be ſeen.

Wet ditches alone are, in ſome parts of the Carſe, ſuppoſed to be ſuflicient fences, ſeveral of them being ten feet wide and of a conſiderable depth. It is believed, that the extra- ordinary dimenſion of theſe excavations has been owing to 2 long continued prattice of procuring from them clay for

D Various